Believers and non-believers: Different sides to Osama bin Laden’s death

The urge to glorify and celebrate murder, even of a terrorist, has moral, ethical and religioius implications. (Seth Wenig / AP)

Other than Hamas, I haven’t seen anyone claiming that the successful U.S. plot to kill Osama bin Laden was a bad thing, but it remains a complex issue, as I discussed last night.

The reaction to bin Laden’s death has been the cathartic release that the country needed after the deadly 9/11 attacks, some scholars say.

“The U.S. has lived under this cloud for over a decade, so it’s an opportunity for people to feel like the U.S. got its revenge to some extent,” said Leonard Steinhorn, an expert on politics and pop culture at American University.

The end of bin Laden is more like the end of World War II or the fall of the Berlin Wall, so “to be taken solely as a murder without the context of war” would be misleading, Steinhorn said. Still, the idea of celebrating a person’s death so publicly and cavalierly has moral implications that cut across religious lines.

“Regardless of what our foe deserved, our revelry in such base things harms ourselves – harms our own humanity and empathy, and that will have wider effects on ourselves and our community than intended,” wrote Houston Humanist minister D.T. Strain in his blog. “This is why we no longer drag murderers through the streets or hang them in public exhibitions – because of the kind of people that makes us.”

For Christians, though, it’s not just about avoiding this kind of celebration… the ask is something much greater: Love your enemies.

“Christians, regardless of what they feel, are called to love Mr. bin Laden and that means we pray for him, we pray for his family and we pray for the people he has deeply hurt,” said Robert Kruschwitz, director of Baylor University’s Center for Christian Ethics.

That’s right, love the murder-espousing, America-hating, disgusting, horrible terrorist that was responsible for the deaths of thousands.

Love him. Want the best for him. I doubt many humanists/agnostics/atheists would go that far. (And why would they? Outside of Christianity, it doesn’t make sense.)

“True Christian life, to live it out, it’s not easy. In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, ‘You have heard it said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say turn the other cheek….’ He upped the ante,” said the Rev. Mike Buentello, at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

It can be a difficult position for people of faith, but part of the reality of living in a world where hateful people gain power and influence, not only people like Osama bin Laden, but also Adoph Hitler (who was announced dead on the same day, May 1, in 1945), Joseph Stalin, Timothy McVeigh, Anwar al-Awlaki and others.

“This is not a unique situation. There have been other masterminds. As persons of faith, we have to deal with the presence of evil in this world,” said Buentello. “It’s an ongoing battle for our souls. That’s why the Vatican statement said we all have a serious responsibility for what we do in this life.”

“Love him. Want the best for him. I doubt many humanists/agnostics/atheists would go that far. (And why would they? Outside of Christianity, it doesn’t make sense.)”

What a dishonest piece of garbage this blog post is!! As an atheist, I have been commenting on this site for a year now, and my position has been consistent. Compassion and empathy for others are not unique to Christians. In fact, Christian theology is sorely lacking in compassion in many areas–especially with respect to the treatment of non-human animals. And what about Buddhists (many of whom are atheists)? They, too, preach empathy and compassion.

Below is what I submitted to another of Kate’s posts today, and she somehow had failed to post it. I’ve yet to received an explanation. I guess it doesn’t comport with her prejudices against atheists.

Here’s the position of at least one non-theist:

The death or killing of any human or other feeling creature is always tragic, as it is a loss for that individual. There’s nothing to celebrate about it. Empathy and compassion should have no bounds.

The disempowerment of any harmful or destructive entity is a benefit to society. Killing an individual to disempower him/her is sometimes the only option. The pragmatics of serving the greatest good can necessitate harming some–if unavoidable.

In any case, regardless of Osama Bin Laden’s death, there is a lot more to do toward making the world a better, safer place–and most of it does not involve killing.

While I don’t believe this post is completely BS, I DO believe that those who are not Christian also have compassion and empathy. These are not characteristics solely reserved for Christians. I was raised a Christian – have had my doubts, but most of all believe in a higher power.

However, that does not prevent me from rejoicing in the death of such an evil human being. I truly believe that evil should be eliminated from this earth – and if it is human form – than so be it! Child killers, like the recent ones who savagely and with malice beat, maimed, tortured and murdered their children are also in the same category as OBL. Death is the only thing we as a people have to give them that will remove such cancerous sores from our society.

As a person who is deeply spiritual – not religious – never confuse those… I am an adamant proponent of the death penalty and this is what OBL got and what he deserved. Period.

why dont you take your crap elsewhere UST.. Mr i am so smart im going to talk crap online.. you’re a retard sir… what does that have to do with the post dipstick?? people know what she is talking about and if they dont well they arent from Houston and they missed out… so shut your trapp before some else does

That’s all sweet and nice and kind and all. However, true love, sometimes means tough love. Wanting and hoping and praying for the best in and for others, really isn’t love (a parent knows this, that sometimes, punishment is in order, when other corrective actions have nont worked). The Old Testament Law, laid down by God Almighty, leads to the Death Penalty. Simply put, if a person murders (notice there is a difference between murder and killing, murder is with planing, malice,aforethought) another, they are to die. How many murders did Bin Laden plan, or actively participate in, or allow to happen? This is for a spiritual reason, for a person who ha comitted such acts ha opened their mind to demonic influences ( yeah, go ahead and laugh, at your own risk at such an antiquated idea, but, I think that God Almighty knows a little more about the subject than we, simple humans do!), thus, they can not be allowed to live, as they will never be able to turn away from that influence(which is not to say that their spirit, or soul, whatever you wih to call it, could not be saced, or become born again, just that they would ever be able to negate the spiritua influence, so, they need to die, in the physical body, in order for their eternal soul to be saved!).
While we,perhaps, should not actively celebrate OBL’s death, we can be damn proud of the fact that an evil was removed from the world, and that retribution has come home upon this evil person.And we can alo be proud that it was an American Soldier, who had the privelege of taking out this evil person, who had decreed death for America and Americans, the irony, the karma of it all!
Being a Christian is much more than being touchy, feely, sweet, rose garden, rose colored glasses. Sometimes the harsh realities of the world must be confronted. God gives us knowledge, if we ask him for it, to know, the preciesly right thing to do in every situation. It’s a spirital battle, going about it with nice platitudes doesn’t cut it!
After all, did not even Jesus Christ show anger in overturning the moneychangers tables in the Temple? Did he turn the other cheek in that instance? Do you truly think that he would want us to suffer in silence, all the time? Or would he rather us to confrot the situation (or person), in a loving way, if possible, pointing out the error of their ways, and, if necessary, forcibly correct the situation? There is a time and place for everything. God gave us brains and free will to make our own choices, he did not program us to be meek sheep to be run over by the world, that i, surely no way to win over any hearts to Christ. Oe of the promises in the Bible is that we should live, more than abundantly, one can not do that by being a downntrodden, weak, meek, so called Christian!

Kate, thank you for articulating something that has been nagging at me since I saw the headlines. While I think this was a law enforcement action that is long overdue and am grateful that no more lives were lost, the sight of Americans dancing in the streets in celebration was and is disturbing. Thank you for bringing the clear and necessary perspective of the Gospel.

I remember feeling such relief the day they announced they had captured Saddam Hussein.

But the day they hung him, well, it’s weird. I thought justice was being done, but I was a little sad. Weird. The man murdered hundreds of thousands of people. He invaded Kuwait and committed atrocities there. He was tried and found guilty by his own people.

This is a topic worth exploring, in my opinion, and I’ll be interested to see what responses it brings from your readers. I’ve struggled with this all day long today as I’ve watched the various headlines from around the country. You’re far braver than I am to broach the topic, as I considered putting something up on my Facebook page (where, assumedly, only my “friends” would see it), yet still decided against it.

I’m not suggesting that Osama deserved a jury trial, nor that he was undeserving of the end that came to him in the night, courtesy of two dozen Navy SEALS. What I am suggesting is that the vanquishment of an enemy, one that came after a decade of searching and an untold number of battles, interrogations and lost lives, ought to be met with a certain degree of solemnity and humility. As much as I think it’s a natural impulse to celebrate this as “justice done” and a “great day” for America, I believe it would be better for all of us to show him the respect in death (which he apparently met with his gun blazing) that he would never have afforded to any of us Westerners in life, and his son as well (who died at his father’s side).

I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but it helps me to put these words out there, and maybe just a little more to know that I’m not alone in these thoughts.

For the Christian believer (the true believer) we understand that no one is worthy of heaven, not even ourselves. In cases like this, Osama bin Laden, we end up with mixed feelings. On one hand we know and hold that this man will never again inflect any pain or death on another. On the other hand we are aware that this man is now set in eternity for torment which we ourselves also deserve. So while we accept that his death was justifiable, as would be our own, we also get no joy out of it. This tension that the Christians carries is something that non-Christians cannot understand. We accept the need of his death to stop his further violence and yet we get no joy out of that death since the man is now set to suffer for all eternity.
Proverbs 24:17-18
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
Or the LORD will see it and be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.

EZE 18:32
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye.

Hi Kate, thanks for this and for the mention of my blog. Many of us Humanists also believe in loving our enemies (or trying our hardest to at least). I find that value expressed in the Christian bible to be one of its most profound. I would only ad that it is possible to love an enemy and still pursue them, even killing them if necessary to protect others or serve justice. The difference is what’s in our hearts as we undertake those unfortunate courses of action.

I would also draw a distinction between killing and murder. Murder, to me, would be a killing that was initiated against the innocent. Thus, Martin Luther King, for example, was murdered. Osama bin Laden was simply killed. If we do not draw that distinction, then we must assume the ten commandments require us to be absolute pacifists, or consider all police officers to be breakers of the commandments for carrying sidearms, which I do not think was the intent.

“Love him. Want the best for him. I doubt many humanists/agnostics/atheists would go that far. (And why would they? Outside of Christianity, it doesn’t make sense.)”

I want to state humbly that I am a nonbeliever and I strongly disagree with the above statement. Evolution has created a basic humanity that requires that we not wish others ill and that we care about their welfare. I may choose to kill the man because I believe it may stop the suffering of others. But I am inhumane if I feel something such as “hatred” for him, or wish him further suffering, or celebrate his death. Outside of Christianity, understanding how we are connected to the rest of the world is vital if we intend to survive. His death must be recognized as a potentially important step, but must be considered mindfully as a grave and solemn moment: we, all of us, are members of a species that has come to this – that we must kill ourselves to stop ourselves from killing ourselves. This is not a moment for laughing and revelry, but for prayer or meditation, and for resolve to act in ways that mend hearts, minds, cultural bridges, and nations’ cooperations so that we can avoid such things as this (and here I include wars in general) in the future.

Love your enemies. “That’s right, love the murder-espousing, America-hating, disgusting, horrible terrorist that was responsible for the deaths of thousands.”

Then go to church on Sunday and listen to your preachers and ministers teach hatred against decent Gay Americans.

As an Atheist looking from the outside at you “Christians”, as both a movement and individuals, I see a pretty ugly picture of hypocrisy being painted on a daily basis.

You guys are soooo worried about the implications of celebrating the long-overdue death of a horrific man, how superficial and self-serving of you. Christians don’t hesitate to interject their “religion” and “faith” into campaigns aimed at denying decent human beings, fellow Americans, their basic civil rights and equal treatment under the law a regular basis…..yet you worry about Osama bin Laden.

Godiva, I’ve seen far more hypocrisy from “christians” throughout my lifetime than from atheists. An immeasurable difference. Know your facts and maybe pay attention to what’s really being taught by many “christians”. I was raised attending southern Baptist churches and even at the age of 5, I knew what they were teaching wasn’t right. Just saying….

Wow, you have a lot of misplaced anger. One, I am a Christian, a devout Roman Catholic to be specific, and yet I haven’t had the slightest twinge of apprehension, remorse, sadness, whatever you want to call it, over the killing of OBL. I am glad he is gone. I fully understand why there was dancing in the streets. Had I been in NYC or DC I would have joined in the revelry. I suspect there are many others like me who do not fit your concept of the hypocritical hand-wringing worry wart this intellectually shallow blog helped to reinforce.

Two, in all my years of attending mass, including the past 12 years at my current parish, I have never heard anyone rail against gays, whether from the pulpit or the pew. If I did I would go somewhere else. I suspect there are many others like me who do not fit your concept of the venom spewing monsters that you only wish were populating the overwhelming majority of Christian congregations across the nation.

Wow, Godiva is lecturing about hypocrisy. Oh, the irony (a word I can apply to many who post here). You apparently have more sympathy for Saddam Hussein, who is the responsible for the murder of thousands (including born children), than you do for women who choose to terminate their pregnancies. Don’t try to deny it, I’ve read far too many of your hateful comments.

What I thought of last night was this: We ought to act more calmly about Osama’s demise. Very calm. Report it and then look into the camera and say, “his is only what all the sworn enemies of the USA have in store for them – if not today – well then maybe tomorrow.” and let it go at that.

I have been greatly disturbed by the site of revelers on the streets over the death of a human being. I don’t know why and am in a search for understanding, while this article was helpful. It still doesn’t clarify my personal feelings. Thank you for your post however, and an attempt to bring peace to those of us out there that just can’t understand how this could happen that our great nation could become so blood thirsty to celebrate murder, however justified.

Jesus loved both the men who were crucifed with him. He forgave one of them (the one who asked to be remembered). Jesus let both men die as a consequence to free-will decisions both men made. One may love as Jesus loved and still let justice play out.

A bunch of mostly young kids, draped in American flags, spontaneously burst out on the street near the White House and had a joyous PEACEFUL celebration over the fall of one of the most evil men who ever lived. I’m proud of these kids and their peaceful joyous celebration and it gives me hope for the future of this country. Why do people want to overspiritualize the great peaceful joyous celebration these kids had and try to act like its wrong.? I can sling scripture with the best of them, and there are sections about rejoicing when evil is vanquished. I’m proud of these patriotic kids who showed their love for our country and rejoiced at the fall of evil. Enough said.

I am an atheist. And yet I do not take pleasure in Osama Bin Laden’s death and I understand the folly in being happy for another person’s death. I don’t need jesus to tell me that. I feel that way because I’m a human being and I have compassion for other human beings, and for no other reason.

You on the other hand seem to require a supernatural being to tell you how to feel. I doubt the sincerity of your claim that you ‘love’ your enemies. As evidenced by “That’s right, love the murder-espousing, America-hating, disgusting, horrible terrorist that was responsible for the deaths of thousands.”

You have demonstrated that you cannot understand the rational for having compassion for others: ” (And why would they? Outside of Christianity, it doesn’t make sense.)”

If you need a god to tell you what’s right, that’s your problem. As an atheist, I know what’s right. Without anyone’s help.

As evidenced by “That’s right, love the murder-espousing, America-hating, disgusting, horrible terrorist that was responsible for the deaths of thousands.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That was written by Flexible Atheist.

You have time to pray for others?
Knock yourself out.
I personally have a problem praying for murderers. I never prayed for Hitler or Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Saddam. I believe God already had plans for them before they left this World. Let those who applaued their acts take care of them for what it’s worth.

I will and do pray for all those who suffered under these disturbed and evil men.

I am a Christian, and I am also a Liberal. I’m also opposed to war on moral grounds. What this means is that am “supposed” to be thoroughly compassionate. My religion tells me to love my enemy. My Liberal leaning tells me that everyone is equal and has value. My anti-war stance tells me that we should find peaceful ends to our conflicts. But I’m sorry, in this one case, I just can’t see it.

What our country did on Sunday was NOT murder. It was a military operation, against a military target. A military target that has directly or indirectly caused the slaughter of thousands of our citizens as well as our allies. A military target who has sworn to continue that path of destruction, and who has celebrated each Western death as a personal victory for his God. Not only did he mastermind and/or order those deaths, he has trained others to do the same. He has inspired his followers to do the same. He has inspired children to take up arms against us. And he has bastardized our view of Islam to the point where many Americans think that everyone with a name like Hussein must be a terrorist.

A military strike against an evil force like that is not murder. It is a matter of national security. It is justice for the atrocities he has committed against normal, innocent people across the world. Maybe celebrating it is wrong. I guess it is. But I, for one, wept with relief when I heard the news. I remember the tears we all cried on 9/11. The fear we felt, the despair, the feeling that it could have been any of us. I remember begging my husband to leave his office at the refinery in Baytown because the news was saying maybe that would be the next target. Do you remember the terror you felt? That sick feeling in the pit of your stomach as you watched the towers fall? Do you remember watching the tapes of Bin Laden gleefully recounting how it was so much better than he had planned it? I do, and the fact that that man has been allowed to live for these past 10 years has weighed on me ever since.

Some people are comparing the cheering and chanting after the news broke to the cheering and chanting in Afghanistan after 9/11. That sickens me. Those people were celebrating the deaths of 3000 innocent men, women and children. Mothers. Fathers. Sons. Daughters. Heroes. Babies. We celebrated the death of a terrorist. I’m glad he’s gone. And I feel no shame in saying it.

Kate, I often read but seldom post if ever, but this is such a good one, I couldn’t resist. I’m Christian and American, and of course like all of us, I was horrified on 9/11.

I work as a private music teacher of pupils ranging from seven to 18 years. Yesterday I was wearing an American flag t-shirt when a fourth-grader and his father came to my studio for his lesson. He said, “It’s not July 4th. Why are you wearing that shirt?” I told him if I had a red, white and blue Uncle Sam suit and top hat, I’d wear it instead. He then asked me why?

While the kid tuned his instrument, I looked up at his dad, silently kind of asking with gestures and expressions whether his son knew anything of bin Laden. Keep in mind, I’m 36, so 9/11 is vividly clear, too real and still relatively fresh in my experience, but this kid was still a few months before birth when the towers fell. His dad said the boy didn’t know of it all, but knew of the twin towers.

So I told this kiddo, “It’s never good to celebrate anyone’s death, even the death of an enemy; that’s just bad Karma. But, a very bad person died over the weekend, a person who killed thousands of innocent people here in America and in other countries around the world. He was a soldier, but a cowardly one. He wouldn’t fight the battles himself, but sent others to kill and/or die for his mission. He didn’t go after other soldiers, but attacked innocent civilians whom he didn’t know and who were unprepared for battle. And worst of all, he did it in God’s name, calling his acts holy and correct in God’s wishes.

“People in many countries around the world have wanted this guy either in jail or dead for many years, and some American spies found out where he was hiding in Pakistan, and before he could sneak away to another hideout, some specially-trained US soldiers broke into his hideout, told him to surrender, and when he wouldn’t they killed him. It’s not good to kill, and it’s never ‘good’ when a person dies, but the world is better off that an evil person’s not part of it any longer.”

The kid understood. My more long-term hope is for him to learn that, while we should be glad that a bad guy is gone and the world is safer for it, the value of this life and the solemnity of passing into the next, whatever you believe that to be, is always important to uphold. These two seemingly conflicting ideas intermingling is part of the sophistication of understanding the compassion of the human condition.

—–

My own two cents…I’m not a big fan of most of Pres. Obama’s politics, but he and his team go it SO right on this one! After multiple costly wars, seemingly endless searching, immeasurable sacrifices of energy, time, lives and families, and depleted resources both tangible and not, all set in motion by this demon’s horrific acts against life and liberty, we still found him. When the mission was accomplished, we prepared his body for a dignified and righteous burial to meet his religion’s traditions and tenets, even though he clearly didn’t adhere to them during his life. By most earthly accounts he didn’t even nearly deserve such a gesture.

I can’t think of a more Christ-like thing to do; what other country on Earth would do that with the body of their darkest, most vile enemy?

President Obama, over the weekend you lead America in setting an example as a country with conviction, dedication, resolve, justice and interweaving through it all, compassion. You made a gutsy call and did so accurately, swiftly, and privately, and then when it was finished, didn’t gloat or brag. Thank you, Mr. President.

So, I say to the celebrating, follow Obama’s lead on this one. Sure we all wanted the evil scumbag dead; if anyone deserved death, its Osama bin Laden. At the same time, don’t taunt a dead body or his surviving friends, regardless of how much they deserve it. Treat his death as an unfortunate necessity bringing about a beneficial result. Addition through subtraction, if you will.

First of all we should feel NO SHAME whatsoever for being “happy” this monster is dead. Thank God, our military, and those Navy seals for never losing site on Bin Laden. I am a strong believer in what goes around, comes around! But DO NOT put Americans DOWN for celebrating this evil person’s death. Yes, God said “vengeance is mine”. OK…well he put the vengeance in the military’s hands. We as Americans CANNOT afford to lose our freedom. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. And I pray everynight that Obama will NOT be re-elected. He wants to make this a “one” world country. Sorry, but there’s NOT enought room in America for the “WORLD”. AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL MUST STAY FREE! Thank you and God Bless.

I think he was saying he doesn’t need anyone’s help to know that it’s not right to rejoice in another human being’s death, regardless of how monstrously that human being has behaved, not that he never needs anyone’s help, ever. If you understood anything about atheist Humanism, you would understand that the connection and need for cooperation between human beings is something we believe in. We just don’t look for help from a supernatural being that we don’t believe exists.

The greatest incidents of mass murder in the history of mankind were committed by “non-believers”: Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Hitler. All felt as thought the humanist aspect to mankind was the highest power in the universe.

Once I saw one of those sorry Iranian Aymams grinning his sorry rear off as he pretended to shake the burned up hand of my dead Soldier out there in their desert when President Jimmy Carter aborted his “rescue mission.” I thought that that Aymam did not belong on the face of GOD’s Earth.
.
About a year later, some of his own people blew him away with a car bomb, so I guess somebody over there agreed with me. Don’t be grinning about death.
.
No one should be glad about a man’s death – but having said that, I would have liked to have had the sight picture that presented itself to my SEAL Sunday. See…On the 3rd time they showed it on 911, I MADE myself watch my Countrymen and Countrywomen jumping over 1,000 feet into the concrete of New York City to get away from the flames he ordered. Any time someone over there said our bombs were not smart, or our Soldiers didn’t aim well – I reran that… and said lalalalalal…but I did not grin.

I find it interesting that so many people who gladly ignore the murder of millions of people in genocidal wars of the recent past now debate the moral implications of celebrating the destruction of Usama Bin Laden.

Ask yourselves, “what’s worse?”

Cheering the elimination of an enemy of the USA responsible for murdering thousands of innocent people all over the world and embodiment of the psychological scars of the 9/11 attacks…

OR

Ignoring the genocidal destruction of millions of innocent civilians because it happens somewhere in Africa, out of sight, out of mind?

Like many great civilizations before us, we are a war-like people and we rejoice in crushing our foes.

Unfortunately, we also obsessively seek wealth and power and overindulge in decadent distractions without regard for harm to other peoples.

Animux, I completely agree. I’m stunned by the chastising comments from many of my friends, some religious (Christian, etc.) and some not (Atheist, etc.) about the celebrations. They sit in an awfully comfortable place from which to judge. I respond by telling them how lucky they are that they’ve never had to decide whether to pull a trigger to save one person’s life or millions’. I further respond how lucky they are to live in a country where people volunteer to fight and possibly die to protect them. To sit in judgment about the relief others feel (or even happiness) that Bin Laden is dead is an insult to our country and our military. It’s so easy to be a pacifist from afar.

This comment is in general a reply to all the comments here form atheists taking exception with those who believe.

Faith is a living thing, and like a relationship or a garden, it needs tending, feeding, and room to breath and move. I was raised Christian but have experienced periods of agnosticism, and while I consider myself Christian, understand the struggle of belief vs. disbelief, of divinity vs. humanity, simultaneously being opposites yet the same.

This is something an atheist could never understand. Why is it atheists expend so much energy smugly, rudely, arrogantly denouncing in attempt to bully those who choose to believe? If you’re so confident in your belief there is no divine providence, why must you go around spreading hatred? Why can’t you just get on with your life?

“well,” you might say, “then go to church on Sunday and listen to your preachers and ministers teach hatred against decent Gay Americans,” as one reader posted earlier. Really?

REALLY?!?! I don’t know what church you’ve been to where every Sunday, right there between the anthem and the scripture reading is the weekly decent-Gay-American-hatred teaching, but I’ve always been taught that God loves everyone, and it doesn’t matter what you call God, and it doesn’t matter what you look like or who you love or from where you come or what you’ve done or what you might do later on, it’s up to God to love us and it’s up to us to try to love each other as God loves us. We’re human and thus imperfect, so we can never live up to this, but it’s up to us to try. Many are misguided and get it wrong, but many more stay afloat in this impossible striving toward an unknowable goal.

You claim to be happier than the believer; you claim to be freer than the believer; you make fun of the believer for his beliefs; you ridicule the existence of the beliefs; you call the believer intolerant (that one’s even a little funny!); you belittle the efforts of grace and tact in tactless and clumsy manner. You do all of this and, from the outside looking in at both atheist individuals and at the movement, appear unhappy, shackled, childish, unfounded and intolerant.

Have you forgotten how it felt that day
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away?
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside
Going through a living hell
And you say we shouldn’t worry ’bout Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

I’ve been there with the soldiers
Who’ve gone away to war
And you can bet they remember
Just what they’re fighting for

Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost
And those left to carry on
Don’t you tell me not to worry about Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Many people do not know what turning the other cheek means. It dosn’t mean that you should allow somebody to beat you up or encouraging them to knure you further. It is saying that I will not back down and that you can’t control me forcing a retaliation. It’s very similiar to a boxer inviting an open shot from an opponent. It’s saying “I’m stronger than you; therefore, I control what I do. I will not be forced to back down nor forced to fight.”

What do you mean by this? That he did 9/11? He has never been charged with that. Because there isn’t one peace of evidence he was involved in it. And I don’t think there were thousands of people killed at the two embassies he blew up.